Mason: Many people revolted when the "Star Trek" series was cancelled.

Mike: Not only that, they were upset. Mason Reese: Our next guest was Mr. Spock in "Star Trek" and Paris in "Mission:Impossible". Please, join me in welcoming one of my favorites: Leonard Nimoy.

Leonard enters the stage, greets Mike and Mason and gets a big welcome.

Mike Douglas: That is a sensational suit.
Leonard: Thank you. I've put it together from some old pieces I have had.

Mike Douglas pointing to Mason Reese: There is probably the biggest fan you have in this world.
Leonard: I just discovered that, its fantastic. How are you, Mason?
Mason: Feeling good.
Leonard: You're a poilce officer now, official and everything. Next thing we do is take you on a trip on the Enterprise.
Mason: Oooh!Mike: Would you like that, Mason?
Mason: I'd love it.
Leonard: Guarantee is a smooth ride, Mason. Guaranteed. I'll tell captain Kirk to see to it.
Mike: Now, Mason, knowing what a big fan you are of Mr. Nimoy's, wpuld you like to ask him some questions? He is a nice person.
Mason: OK. Are some of the things on the Enterprise really workable?
Leonard: Well, could you give me an example what you have in mind?
Mason: Like the boards, the panel for the lights go on, you switch them?
Leonard: They are workable in a visual sense. The electronics are built to do the visual effect. If you press a button the studio will still be there, nothing really happens.Mason: How do you make the star-background?
Leonard: The star-background where? You mean when a ship is flying by?

Mason: Yeah.Leonard: Well they do it as they say as an optical effect. They do that with a series of film-plates with stars on them and they move them back and forth one against another,

so you get a change in dimension as a ship travels through. Mason: How big is that thing like the ship? Leonard: You mean the actual ship which was photographed? Mason: Yeah. Leonard: There are two or three. One was about 12 feet long and one is about 3 feet long. The one which is in the main titel first when the show comes on the air I think is the 12 foot model. And they hang it on a track and it is photographed as it flows by. You could ride on that one. Mason: Not a problem because I am only 3 feet eight. Leonard: That would work. Mason: How do they make those pointed ears that you wear? Leonard: I can't imagone why you are interested in the pointed ears, that's amazing. The points are made out of rubber tips that were moulded to fit my ears. They make a cask first.Mason: Oh you mean, it sticks. Leoanrd: Yeah. They put a plaster, a mould on first, then they make a little tip.Mike: And then they glue them on? Leonard: They glew them on, yeah. Mason: Is it sticky? Leonard: Yes, it is, yes. Mason: Its itchy.Leonard: You are one of the very few people who sympathise with my ear-problems, very nice of you.

Mike: How does it feel to be a leading figure in cult-like groups like "Star Trek"?Leonard: Really incredible. It just keep running on and on. We're on now with the cartoons, it runs on Saturday mornings. Since about two weeks ago and the response has been fantastic. They say the cartoons should be on in prime time, its really incredible, it just goes on and on.

(The following part you can read here - Thanks to Irene!) ... It just goes on and on. I think it will last for years and years. I thought it would have gone by now, but it doesn't seem to stop.
Mike: To give people an idea of how many fans this man has, I would like to read, and these are copies of actual letters. We don't have the names because we couldn’t get to the people quick enough to get release from them. This one says ‘What Star Trek means to me. It could take a long time to answer. succinctly it was the beginning of a new life for me'. This one says; ‘Mr Spock was so popular because everyone was able to identify themselves with him. Here was someone who hid his emotions even though at times it seemed to be a great strain on him. The characters were unbelievable, and I’m partial to Leonard Nimoy. He seems to look the part, to make it happen, and at the same time to add a kind of forbidden beauty to Mr Spock's personality.’
Leonard: Forbidden beauty? (laughs) That's nice.
Mike: And she goes on to say,' How does he do it. I never cease to be amazed at him'. And this one is from a very special fan of yours. Shall I read it for you? ‘Dear Leonard, I used to love Star Trek, It's too bad you won't be in them, I am really disappointed. I wonder what other shows you're going to be on. I think you are a wonderful man. (laughs) .
Leonard: Mason, which shows are you talking about?
Mason: Well, you made shows that I have never seen.
Leonard: But you mentioned the new shows of Star Trek, and that I wouldn’t be in them. Which shows are you thinking about? You mean the cartoons?.
Mason: Yeah.
Leonard: Well, we're doing the voices you know. The original cast is doing all the voices on the show. So it's not a total loss. (laughs )
Mike: You know, Otto Preminger was here the other day.
Leonard: I heard about it.
Mike: A week ago or so. And he told us about ‘Full Circle' that you're going to be doing on Broadway... I've asked this of many people Leonard, including ... I asked Jackie Gleason when I saw him.. what Otto was like to work with. What's he like to work with?
Leonard: Well. He's incredible. You know, he has this ferocious reputation, and there are times he lives up to it. He can be a monster (laughs). He's really two entirely different people. On one hand he’s very demanding, even impatient director who knows exactly what he wants and how he wants it done. And he can be a tiger if he's not getting it. On the other hand, he has a phenomenal sense of humour and a great deal of that Viennese charm.
Mike: Oh yes.
Leonard: And he can charm the pants off you if that's what he decides to do. We have a great relationship, but he does every once in a while and I listen and listen, and then say something about his bald head, or something like that (laughs), and he can't resist, he's got such a terrific sense of humour that he’ll dissolve. So we've found a way to relate to each other. He keeps teasing me about space and the ears, and all that stuff. But he's a very talented man. I think to me, not only an important director, but also a very important producer in our business because he came up with some extraordinary exciting ideas in films, time and time again that were very newsworthy films, because they broke new ground and new territory in introducing ideas into films. And of course, some of his films are great classics, ‘Laura' and ‘The Man with the Golden Arm' and ‘The Moon is Blue'. and you just go on and on. Those were great films. He is just a phenomenal man.
Mike: If I recall, he said ‘I'm putting two tickets aside for you' and asked me to go.
Leonard: I wish you would.
Mike: When does it open?
Leonard: We open this weekend.
Mike: This weekend?
Leonard: Yes. At the Kennedy Centre in Washington. At the Eisenhower Theatre. And we open November 7th at the Playhouse in New York. It’s a powerful play. I think very fresh in that, it's the kind of material that we haven't seen much of for a long time. Well, new in the sense that it's never been done in the United States before. It was produced once in Berlin some time ago, I think. It was written by Erich Marie Remarque. We have Bibi Anderson, a wonderful Swedish star, a lady. It's a lovely love story that takes place during the last day of the second World War. In Berlin. And it's the kind of romantic thing that we haven't seen much of in the theatre. And I have high hopes for it.
Mike: Is this your first Broadway?
Leonard: First time on Broadway, yeah. It's the full circle for me. That's the name of the play, and it's kind of, to me, a full circle because I was raised in Boston and I went out to the west coast to try to build a career there, and now I'm coming back to the east coast finally to work on Broadway. It's very exciting.
Mike: Well, I wish you the best.
Leonard: Thank you.